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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28144554">We'll Lie Down In Eiderdown</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandoradeloeste/pseuds/pandoradeloeste'>pandoradeloeste</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Bright Sessions (Podcast), The College Tapes (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, M/M, Moving In Together, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:09:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,515</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28144554</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandoradeloeste/pseuds/pandoradeloeste</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I wanted to do this right. It’s not every day you move in with your boyfriend.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adam Hayes/Caleb Michaels</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>We'll Lie Down In Eiderdown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/pro_daydreamer/gifts">pro_daydreamer</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Part of the 2020 Secret Santa exchange.</p><p>Title is from "Wedding Song" in Hadestown.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Caleb and Alice were lifting the futon onto the roof of the car (well, Alice was doing most of the lifting) when Green Garden started playing on his cell phone.</p><p>“I’ve got it,” Alice said breezily, sounding as if she was holding a microwave instead of an entire couch. “Get me something to tie this down.”</p><p>“Hey, Chloe!” Caleb fumbled one-handed in the front seat to get bungee cords while he put the phone on speaker.</p><p>“Caleb! Congratulations!” she squealed. “A job offer and moving in with Adam in the same week! Oh my <i>god,</i> you must be <i>freaking out!</i>”</p><p>“He hasn’t stopped smiling,” Alice called as they strapped the futon down. “It’s kind of disgusting.”</p><p>“Jerk,” Caleb said affectionately. “How’s the art show going?”</p><p>“Not too bad. I’m taking a break from framing before I go permanently cross-eyed. Where’s Adam?”</p><p>“Still at his parents’ house for now. We’re meeting the property manager at noon to sign the lease and get the keys and all.”</p><p>“Which is in an <i>hour,</i> and if you don’t hang up and <i>start packing,</i> this futon is going to be the only thing you move in with.” Alice punched him lightly on the shoulder as she walked past him into the house.</p><p>“Right, sorry, I guess I should –“</p><p>“I know, I won’t keep you long, you’ve got a bunch of adulting to do. Just let me know if you need anything, okay? Moving in with someone is a big deal.”</p><p>“I’ve had roommates before. Sadie and I lived together for three years, remember? And Adam and I have been talking about U-Hauling since, like, Christmas.”</p><p>Alice snorted as she passed him with a box of books. “That’s not what that word means, you idiot.”</p><p>“Oh. It’s not?”</p><p>“Ah, not so much.” Chloe sounded like she was trying not to laugh. “U-Hauling is what <i>I</i> did with Sabrina last year. Which is why I know it can be a lot, especially for you with your ability, so seriously, <i>call me</i> if you need anything, okay? Oh! And text me your new address. I have a housewarming present for you.”</p><p>Alice and Caleb managed to load half of his boxes into the car before Caleb needed to leave. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay carrying the futon on your own?” Alice asked.</p><p>“I’ll have Adam to help me at the apartment, remember? We’ll be <i>fine.</i> Stop moping.”</p><p>“I’m not moping.”</p><p>“Really.”</p><p>“I’m thrilled, actually. I’m finally getting the bathroom all to myself again.” She hugged him fiercely. “Oh my god, this is actually happening, isn’t it? You’re moving out for real this time, to be an <i>adult</i> and shit.”</p><p>“Yeah,” he said, struggling to breathe against Alice’s too-tight hug and the sudden wave of pride-sadness-loneliness-happiness from her. “Yeah, I am.”</p><p> </p><p>Adam’s parents’ van was already parked across the street from the apartment complex when Caleb drove up at 12:10. Adam was leaning against the hood of the car, sipping coffee and doing his best to look casual, but Caleb had felt him radiating excitement and impatience from almost a block away. “Took you long enough,” he said fondly as he handed Caleb a green tea. “The property manager’s waiting inside.”</p><p>Halfway across the street, Adam stopped and snapped his fingers. “Hold on a second, I almost forgot.” He pushed his coffee at Caleb and ran back to the van, and came back carrying a Stop &amp; Shop bag with a challah loaf-shaped lump.</p><p>“Oh, <i>nice,</i>” Caleb said. “You or your dad?”</p><p>“Store-bought, actually,” Adam said sheepishly. “Neither of us had time to bake last night. But challah’s supposed to be the first thing you bring into a new home, so. . .” He swung the bag.</p><p>“Did you bring challah with you to Yale and London, too?” Caleb asked to cover the swoop of excited butterflies they’d both gotten at “new home”.</p><p>“Nah, I forgot about it both times. But I wanted to do this right. It’s not every day you move in with your boyfriend.”</p><p>Caleb <i>had</i> to kiss him then, until a pointed cough from the property manager standing in the doorway (<i>their</i> new doorway) brought them back to reality. “Shall we, gentlemen?” he said dryly.</p><p>Caleb tried to pay attention to the walkthrough and the instructions on where to drop off their rent and the dire consequences if they were late, but it was hard to absorb anything over the thrum of focused anticipation from Adam and the happiness bubbling up from both of them. Even the property manager’s mood seemed to improve. “Dial it back, babe,” Adam whispered as he initialed the lease. “You’re leaking a little.”</p><p><i>Fuck.</i> He took a deep breath and dug his fingernails into his palms. He hadn’t gotten around to calling the atypical therapist Dr. Bright had referred him to, since his insurance was fucked up between graduating and being unemployed for two months and suddenly employed again, but the breathing exercises she’d taught him years ago helped, a little.</p><p>“So is there a prayer we have to say for the challah, or do we just dig in?” he asked once the lease was signed and the property manager had left with a copy of the lease, their money order, and an offhand “happy Fourth”.</p><p>“Oh my god, <i>seriously?</i>”</p><p>“What? I didn’t have time to get breakfast.” </p><p>Adam smiled and shook his head. “No, there’s no bracha, just leave me some? Don’t inhale the whole loaf again.”</p><p>“That was <i>one time!</i>” He tore off a chunk and munched as they went to his car.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, that’s the last of the -” Caleb tripped and the shoebox at the top of his pile fell off. Papers, pens, small notebooks, earbuds, phone chargers for at least three different phones, and other odds and ends spilled across the floor. “Fuck, sorry, was there anything fragile in there?”</p><p>“Nah, just a bunch of office supplies.” Adam was standing in front of the bookshelves, playing Hadestown on his phone and sorting books onto shelves by color.</p><p>Caleb put the crates of books down on the futon to scoop everything back into the box. “What’s this?” He held up a hollow pewter half-cylinder enameled in green.</p><p>Adam glanced up briefly before going back to sorting books. “My uncle sent me that when I graduated. It’s a mezuzah. You’ve seen those before. They’re on all the doorways at my parents’ place, Sam and Mags have one, I think maybe Mark too? I need to borrow my dad’s drill next week to install it.”</p><p>Caleb ran his fingers over the stylized tree and Hebrew letters before putting it back in the shoebox. “It’s so much fun watching you geek out about the apartment. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you put this much work into decorating before.”</p><p>Embarrassment bled into the calm focus coming from Adam’s corner of the living room. “Sorry, is it too much? Do you want to do something different? I can -”</p><p>“No, no!” Caleb said quickly. “Are you kidding? It’s awesome! I’m the fucking <i>worst</i> at interior design. Go wild. I want to see your Pinterest-board-brought-to-life dream apartment.”</p><p>Adam perched on the arm of the futon behind him and rubbed his eyes. “Maybe after dinner. I’m starving, and I can’t see straight anymore.”</p><p>“Already ordered a large steak bomb pizza and garlic knots.” Caleb held up his phone. “They’ll be here in five minutes.”</p><p>“<i>Yes,</i> I knew there was a reason I moved in with you.” Adam stared up at the bookshelves, holding a dogeared copy of Sophocles plays. “Why are all my books <i>black?</i> Fucking Penguin Classics, messing up the aesthetic.”</p><p>“Wait until I get my Discworld books back from Frankie.” Caleb knelt on the futon behind Adam and kissed the top of his head. “I have, like, twenty of them, and they’re colorful enough to balance out all your nerd books.”</p><p>“Bold of you to assume Discworld isn’t also nerdy.” Adam leaned back into Caleb. “And get your shoes off the couch. We have to sleep on it until we buy a real bed.”</p><p>The music changed to one of the more upbeat songs on the album. “C’mon, you need a break.” Caleb got off the couch and plucked the book out of Adam’s hand before pulling him the least cluttered section of the living room. </p><p>Adam rolled his eyes and grumbled through the only turn pattern Caleb could remember from the time Sadie had dragged him to a dance social at the athletic center, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. There was happiness under the fading self-consciousness - no, not quite, Caleb decided as they danced, watching the small smile turn into a grin. Satisfaction, mellow and slightly wistful, like a long-held desire finally fulfilled.</p><p>“Was this on your Pinterest board, too?” Caleb asked when the music slowed enough for him to pull Adam closer.</p><p>“Something like that.” Adam rested his head on Caleb’s shoulder, and joy and satisfaction glowed so brightly that Caleb was sure if he closed his eyes, he would see it behind his eyelids, green and warm.</p>
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